senior white house correspondent brianna keilar is in washington on in. >> reporter: president obama actually pam pained for terri mcauliffe. that is taking place here tomorrow the, the governor's race here in virginia. but you're seeing him to focus on who will replace him in 2016. >> run, hillary, run. if you run, you'll win and we'll all win. >> reporter: an enthusiastic high profile endorsement at the annual jefferson-jackson dinner he pressed hillary clinton to run in 2016. >> it's time for a woman to be president. and so, tonight, here in iowa, and i won't get this opportunity again, i am urging hillary clinton to run for president. >> reporter: he's not alone. a group of 16 democratic women in the senate feel the same way. all of them signed a letter encouraging her to run. according to a democratic source who said kay hagen talked about the still to be released letter at a fund raising event last week. this last poll shows clinton with a huge lead. 65% of democrats chose her. the republican field is a little more crowded. chris christie, paul ryan, rand paul, jeb bush, marco